Paul Watkins talks cello, conducting, Emerson String Quartet, Yehudi Menuhin, BBC Symphony Orchestra

Grammy nominated Welsh cellist and conductor Paul Watkins has enjoyed an illustrious musical career. Whether performing as a chamber musician or music director, his talent for collaboration is unparalleled. Paul reflects on his early beginnings, why he saw professional classical musicians as untouchable in his youth, and how this perspective changed while he attended the Yehudi Menuhin school (@TheYehudiMenuhinSchool) as a teenager. David asks what it was like to lead the cello section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra at age 20 without any professional experience (terrifying!) and how Paul found the courage to ultimately forge a path as a soloist and chamber musician. Paul discusses how he nearly turned down an audition for the famed Emerson String Quartet (@EmersonQuartet) which he ultimately joined thanks to his encouraging wife and a bottle of champagne! To close it out, Paul leaves listeners with invaluable advice.
If you loved this interview, don't miss this episode: Three-time Grammy Award-winning pianist and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is the Music and Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain, and Music Director (aka David's boss) at The Metropolitan Opera where he's just the third person to hold this position in the company's long 140-year history. In the episode-recorded backstage at Carnegie Hall-Yannick discusses the primary role of a conductor, his calm and friendly demeanor while on the podium (spoiler: he doesn't know how to be mean!), how he became inspired to conduct at age 10, and why he reclaimed his love for the piano during the pandemic. Yannick shares the importance of taking every opportunity to perform seriously and his deep belief that music can connect and transform anyone who listens. kzbin.info/www/bejne/famQgH2Cabt8hac
And be sure to catch this interview: MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow and American classical cellist Alisa Weilerstein is a musical prodigy. The internationally celebrated artist discusses her first instruments (made by her grandmother!), her solo debut at age thirteen with the Cleveland Orchestra, and why she chose not to go directly to conservatory after high school. Alisa reminisces about performing at the White House and chuckles about receiving an apology from the President of the United States, as well as discusses her groundbreaking new solo concert series Fragments. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6i3XmdjZtKVjMk
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
Photograph of Paul Watkins by Jurgen Frank.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
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